“Rachin Ravindra has returned home to initiate his red-ball training for New Zealand’s forthcoming Test tour to England,” KKR announced on Friday.
KKR will be up against the Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Acquired by KKR at his base price of Rs 2 crore during the IPL 2026 auction, Ravindra heads home without having played a single match this season, as his new team opted for marquee signing Cameron Green as their primary all-rounder.
The 26-year-old Ravindra will now concentrate on red-ball training as he prepares for his first tour to England.
The Black Caps are set to play a four-day warm-up match against Ireland in Belfast starting May 27, before kicking off the three-match Test series in England. The matches will take place at Lord’s (June 4-8), The Oval (June 17-21), and Nottingham (June 25-29).
New Zealand is currently ranked second in the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings, boasting two wins and a draw.
A consistent member of New Zealand’s Test squad, Ravindra achieved an unbeaten 165 against Zimbabwe in August 2025, followed by scores of 176 in Christchurch and 72 not out and 46 in Mount Maunganui against the West Indies in December.
